Premier League Betting: Bellamy the player was punished for being Bellamy the person

Football Food For Thought / Frank Gregan / 16 December 2009 / 2

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Craig Bellamy sees red but whereas the fiery striker may not he everyone's cup of tea, he didn't deserve to be dismissed

"It's Christmas – the pantomime season – enter from stage left the Wicked Witch, referee Mark Clattenburg. “Oh no you don't” he yells as he allows a Bolton goal that is yards offside and then sends off Craig Bellamy for 'simulation.' "

Frank Gregan dissects the controversial sending-off of Craig Bellamy at the weekend and wonders whether it was a case of the Welshman's reputation unfairly costing him...

It's been a while since a Premier League weekend went by without there being a refereeing controversy. It's the same old, same old in the pub during the week, debating the inexplicable decisions that have changed the course of games. It's enough to make you scream "change the record!!" but turning a blind eye to the issue is not going to sort it.

The 'Respect' campaign along with our increasing collective social conscience (which amongst other things has deemed that geese are no longer to be the target of booing) means that we shy away from the issue; frightened to call this spade a spade and referring to it as a sharp instrument to be used during soil redistribution!

Let's cut to the chase - the standard of refereeing in this country in every professional league is unacceptable! Mark Hughes is wedged between his office door frame fighting off the coveters of his job with an axe. He is desperately trying to turn resources into results and looked to have got at least part of the way around the corner after a tremendous week during which his side beat Arsenal and Chelsea at Eastlands.

Next up came Bolton, a local derby against a team who were having a worse time at home than Tiger Woods! It represented a real chance to pick up another three points and continue the march onwards and upwards. It's Christmas - the pantomime season - enter from stage left the Wicked Witch, referee Mark Clattenburg. "Oh no you don't" he yells as he allows a Bolton goal that is yards offside and then sends off Craig Bellamy for 'simulation.'

Mark Hughes faced the media with the blood leaking down the side of his mouth from his bleeding tongue, biting it wouldn't work, he had to savage it! He had a pop but as a proportional response to the injustice that his team had suffered it was muted. He made one caustic comment that seemed to have passed under the radar but was picked up by the FA yesterday and Hughes has been called in to explain it.

"We didn't appreciate the fact that at half time going out for the second half the referee is passing judgement on what he (the referee) thinks of Craig Bellamy," Hughes said. Allegedly, Clattenburg said to a City physio "how do you work with Craig Bellamy every week?"

It may have been meant as a bit of banter - a joke between the boys - but that is where Clattenburg is much mistaken, he is not one of the boys and never will be. The hangman can't join in the gallows humour!

If Clattenburg made that comment then it is he who should be called to account because if nothing else it shows that there was a degree of bias in his rationale. The sending off was nonsensical. It's accepted that it happened in quick time and that Clattenburg had to make a judgement call instantly. He could easily have made that judgement call and still got it wrong without courting all the controversy, all he had to do was wave the free kick away and play on.

It was one of those that if he wasn't sure the benefit of doubt had to be given to the defending side. In order to send Bellamy off he had to be 100% convinced that he had dived and shouldn't have been influenced by any preconceived ideas that he had about the player or his personality. If Clattenburg was convinced that Bellamy dived then I'm sorry, he's as blind as a bat and to quote the popular lyrics, "he's not fit to referee!"

City will be desperate to get back to winning ways tonight at Tottenham. On Saturday they are at home to Sunderland and form part of this week's recommendation, a multiple bet on City, [1.47], Man Utd [1.48] at Fulham and Aston Villa [1.41] at home to Stoke which offers accumulated odds of [3.1].

Let's hope that the better teams win this weekend and not those that get on the right end of inept refereeing decisions!

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Kev | 16 December 2009

Why cant I read this. whats wrong with it.
Kelli Jones | 17 December 2009

I think the article is missing!!!